Crush-proof packaging



Dec. 10, 1963 R. H. wlTTlNG l 3,113,670

CRUSH-PROOF PACKAGING Filed Aug. 3. 1961 INVENToR. RICHARD H. WIT-rms,

United States Patent Oli ice 3,113,670 Patented Dec. 10, 1963 3,113,670 CRUSH-PROOF PACKAGING Richard H. Witting, 1037 Hull Terrace, Evanston, lll. Filed Aug. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 129,082 7 Claims. (Cl. 20G-59) This invention relates generally to packaging means and methods and more particularly to the packaging of various delicate or fragile articles such as certain flexible gaskets and the like which require protection against crushing or bending.

The packaging of certain articles which require protection against crushing or bending presents a serious a'iid heretofore insoluble problem owing to the peculiar nature and conliguration of the articles. Typical of the type of article under consideration is a sealing gasket for use on refrigerator doors or the like. Such a .gasket generally is made from a resilient flexible material such as rubber or plastic and is rectangular in shape. Although the gasket is ilexible and light in weight, the same nonetheless described a relatively large rectangular area. The gasket may not be folded or otherwise compressed for fear of permanently creasing or damaging the same and destroying the operational efficiency thereof. Similarly, to package the gasket in a container sized to accommodate the large area described thereby obviously is wasteful and additionally results in a package which is excessive in size, bulky and difficult to handle and ship. r

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide packaging for articles of the type under consideration which overcomes all of the above described problems.

Another object is to afford packaging of the character described which conveniently may be formed into a rolled package to greately reduce the size and enhance the ease of handling of the package.

A further object is to provide packaging of the character described which affords an extremely high degree of protection against crushing, bending or jarring of the packaged article.

Still another object is to afford packaging of the character described which in adapted for use With articles of virtually any shape or size.

Yet another object is to provide packaging of the character described which is light in Weight.

Still a further object is to afford packaging of the character described which is relatively inexpensive and yet is most durable and efiicient for the purposes intended.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of cetrain novel features of construction, arrangement and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the saine characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawin gFIG. 1 is a perspective View of a typical packaging device embodying the principles of the invention and showing the saine in the open condition with an article contained therein prior to forming and closing the package;

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of the closed package;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view enlargement of the area indicated by the circle in FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of line 4 4 in FIG. 3 and viewed in the direction indicated;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 5-5 in FIG. 3 and viewed in the direction indicated;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of one of the center pieces used in forming the closed package; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane of broken line 7-7 in FIG. 6 and viewed in the direction indicated.

Turning rst to FIG. l of the drawings, the reference character 10 indicates generally a typical form of packaging embodying the principles of the invention. The packaging l0 comprises a flexible sheet 12 which may be made of any suitable pulp product material such as kraft paper or the corrugated paper illustrated. It will be appreciated, of course, that when the sheet 12 comprises corrugated paper as illustrated, the same is flexible only in a direction normal to the direction of the corrugations, but desirablyl is relatively rigid in the opposite direction. The corrugated sheet l2 thus may be rolled up throughout its length in a manner and for purposes which will be subsequently described.

Positioned inedially of the length of the sheet 12 is a flexible framework indicated generally by the numeral 15. There are thus provided end segments 16 and 18 on either side of the framework 15 as indicated. The framework 15 comprises an inner strip 20 and an outer strip 22 which cooperate to afford a channel 24 therebetween. The strips 20 and 22 are secured to the sheet 12 as by means of a suitable adhesive, and the same are sized and positioned so that the channel 24 formed thereby is substantially the same size and configuration as the particular article to be packaged. In the embodiment illustrated, the article to be packaged comprises a sealing gasket 26, and it will be seen that the same is nicely received in contour-accommodating relationship within the channel 24.

Referring to FIGS. 3-5 of the drawings, it is important to note that the strips 20 and 22 are fabricated into the honeycombed structure illustrated. The material of the strips may likewise comprise a pulp product such as paperboard or kraft paper. As in nature, the honeycombed strips 20 and 22 comprise lengths made up of contiguous hexagonal cells in prismatic forni. The vertical Walls 27 of the numerous cells comprise the long axes of the prismatic cells, and the same are perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces 28 and 3? respectively of the cells.

The honeycombed structure illustrated and described of course is extremely flexible so that the saine may be rolled, bent, twisted or turned virtually in any direction and into any shape. This is true because the pulp product hexagonal cells olfer very little resistance to all forces other than those directed against the vertical walls 27 in the saine plane thereof. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the honeycombed strips 20 and 22 are highly rigid and resistant to any crushing forces which might be exerted on the top surface 28 or bottom surface 30 thereof. This great strength results, of course, from the extremely great number of vertical walls 27 in any given length of stripping. Thus, as indicated in FIG. 5, the gasket 26 is safely protected by the said top and bottom surfaces of the strips 20 and 22Y from any crushing forces which might otherwise be exerted thereon.

To complete the package, the sheet 12 may now be rolled up beginning with either of the end segments 16 or 18. As indicated in FIG. 2, the layers of corrugations which now run the length of the finished package add further to the strength and rigidity of the package. Furthermore, the now layered strips 2i? and 22 afford a rigidity which is a multiple of the rigidity of the flat packaging 10. The free end of the sheet 12 may then be secured by any suitable means such as tying, taping, gluing or additional outer wrapping.

In order to facilitate the described rolling operation and improve even further the strength and rigidity of the package, a pair of center pieces indicated generally by the numeral 33 may be employed. As indicated in FIGS. 1, 6 and 7 of the drawings, each of the center pieces 33 comprises a pair of cooperating discs 34 and 35 made of a relatively rigid material such as cardboard or the like. Each of the discs 34 and 36 has struck therefrom a pair of tabs such as 38 and the ends of said tabs are adapted to be accommodated within a pair of cooperating slits 40 for connecting together said discs. The discs 34 and 36 are likewise provided with aligned notches 42. In operation, the aligned notches 42 of each of the center pieces 33 is engaged over a free edge of the sheet 12 as indicated in FIG. 1. The sheet 12 is then rolled to afford the completed package of FIG. 2, said center pieces affording a rigid center core for the package. It will likewise be noted that the operationally positioned center pieces 33 additionally function as end plates to seal off the interior of the package.

It will of course be appreciated that while the invention has been illustrated in conjunction with. the packing of a rectangular gasket, the same may readily be employed with similar articles of any shape or size. In any event, it is necessary only to position and shape the framework 15 to accommodate the particular article. As a matter of fact, it has been determined that the framework 15 need not be entirely coextensive with the article being packaged. Thus, for example, the framework 15 may comprise only four right angle corner sections for retaining the corners of the gasket 26 and still afford a satisfactory package.

It should be further understood, that while the invention has been illustrated as forming a rolled package, the same may likewise be employed to provide a flat package if desired. Thus, for example, the framework 15 may be attached to a rigid sheet of material and then a similar rigid sheet may be secured to the top surface 28 of the framework to complete the package. Alternatively, a number of flat packages may be stacked one on the other so that each sheet affords a top covering for the framework therebelow. In such stacks only the uppermost framework need be covered with a rigid sheet.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it should be apparent Without further description that I have provided a novel crush-proof packaging and method therefor. The invention is ideally suited for packing heretofore difficult to package articles such as the gasket described, and at the same time affords an extremely high degree of protection against injurious crushing or bending forces. In addition, the completed package conveniently is smaller in size and easier to handle. Furthermore, the packaging may be inexpensively manufactured from ordinary pulp product materials and yet is most efficient, light in weight and simple to use.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation Within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A package comprising a pulp product material sheet,

a pulp product material framework secured to said sheet and aording a channel of complementary configuration With an article to be packaged therein, an article positioned in said channel, said framework comprising a plurality of cooperating strips, each of said strips comprising a flexible honeycombed structure composed of a plurality of prismatic cells, said sheet comprising an elongated flexible member and being rolled upon itself over the entire length thereof, and a pair of circular center pieces connected to said sheet, said center pieces affording a center core and end plates for said rolled package.

2. A package comprising a pulp product material sheet, a pulp product material framework secured to said sheet and affording a channel of complementary configuration with an article to be packaged therein, an article positioned in said channel, said framework comprising a plurality of cooperating strips, each of said strips comprising a flexible honeycombed structure composed of a plurality of prismatic cells, said sheet comprising an elongated flexible member and being rolled upon itself over the entire length thereof, a pair of circular center pieces associated with said sheet and affording a center core and end plates for said rolled package, each of said center pieces comprising a pair of cooperating relatively rigid discs and means connecting said discs together, said discs being formed with aligned notches, said notches being releasably engaged over a free edge of said sheet.

3. The package of claim 2 in which said means comprises a pair of tabs struck from each of said discs and a pair of cooperating slits formed in each of said discs, the free ends of said tabs benig accommodated in said slits.

4. A rolled package for a flexible gasket or the like comprising a flexible pulp product material sheet, a flexible pulp product material framework secured medially to said sheet and affording a channel of complementary configuration with said gasket, said framework being characterized by its ability to resist great crushing forces exerted thereon in a plane normal to said sheet, and means associated with said sheet for rolling the same and closing the ends of said package, said framework comprising a plurality of cooperating honeycombed strips consisting of contiguous hexagonal prismatic cells, said means comprising a pair of circular center pieces, each of said center pieces comprising a pair of cardboard discs cooperatively joined together, said discs being formed with aligned notches, said notches being releasably engaged over a free edge of said sheet whereby said center pieces afford a center core for said rolled package.

5. A rolled package comprising an elongated corrugated paper sheet, a flexible framework consisting of a plurality of pulp product material honeycombed strips secured medially of said sheet, said strips consisting of hexagonal prismatic cells Whose long axes are highly resistant to crushing forces exerted thereon in a plane normal to said sheet, said strips defining an open-topped channel, a flexible article positioned in contour-accommodating relationship within said channel, and a pair of circular center core pieces releasably engaged over an edge of said sheet, said sheet being rolled over the entire length thereof on said center core pieces.

6. The rolled package of claim 5 in which each of said center core pieces comprises a pair of cardboard discs, each of said discs having a pair of tabs struck therefrom and being formed with a pair of slits, the ends of said tabs being accommodated in said slits to cooperatively join together said discs, said discs being formed with aligned notches, said notches being reieasably engaged over said edge of said sheet.

7. A rolled package comprising an elongated flexible sheet, a exible framework consisting of a plurality of pulp product material honeycombed strips secured medially to said sheet, said strips consisting of hexagonal prismatic cells whose longitudinal axes are normal to said sheet, said strips defining an open-topped channel, a ilexible article positioned in contour-accommodating rela- References Cited in the le of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Eastman et al May 20, 1924 Hartford June 22, 1926 Bartlett May 31, 1932 10 6 Flaws Mar. 20, 1945 White Jan. 13, 1953 Wheeler Dec. 27, 1955 Bond May 22, 1956 Gretz Aug. 4, 1959 Cranston Apr. 26, 1960 Kohlhaas May 17, 1960 Pregent Aug. 2, 1960 Kindseth Mar. 6, 1962 Niles Aug. 21, 1962 

2. A PACKAGE COMPRISING A PULP PRODUCT MATERIAL SHEET, A PULP PRODUCT MATERIAL FRAMEWORK SECURED TO SAID SHEET AND AFFORDING A CHANNEL OF COMPLEMENTARY CONFIGURATION WITH AN ARTICLE TO BE PACKAGED THEREIN, AN ARTICLE POSITIONED IN SAID CHANNEL, SAID FRAMEWORK COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF COOPERATING STRIPS, EACH OF SAID STRIPS COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE HONEYCOMBED STRUCTURE COMPOSED OF A PLURALITY OF PRISMATIC CELLS, SAID SHEET COMPRISING AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE MEMBER AND BEING ROLLED UPON ITSELF OVER THE ENTIRE LENGTH THEREOF, A PAIR OF CIRCULAR CENTER PIECES ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SHEET AND AFFORDING A CENTER CORE AND END PLATES FOR SAID ROLLED PACKAGE, EACH OF SAID CENTER PIECES COMPRISING A PAIR OF COOPERATING RELATIVELY RIGID DISCS AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID DISCS TOGETHER, SAID DISCS BEING FORMED WITH ALIGNED NOTCHES, SAID NOTCHES BEING RELEASABLY ENGAGED OVER A FREE EDGE OF SAID SHEET. 